Dr. Maria Montessori observed that when children get into a state of flow or deep concentration, they are happy. They have an inherent drive to find that state, where they are doing something at just the right level for their abilities. You’ve probably seen it while your baby is engaged.

Repetition helps to learn complex information by increasing opportunities for the information to be absorbed, allowing your child to focus on different elements of the experience, and providing opportunities to ask questions and connect concepts together through discussion.

As adults, we might think a 100-150 word story is so simple but for our babies, every time they go through the book, they explore new words, new expressions, and new experiences. Learning all this information takes time.

The next time that familiar book is requested again, remember this is an important step in your child’s learning journey. You can support further learning opportunities within this familiar context by focusing on something new with each retelling.

One day look more closely at the pictures, the next day focus on the text or have your child fill in the words. Make connections of the story to real events in your child’s world. This type of broader context talk is more challenging and further promotes cognitive skills. You can also build on their interests by offering books from the same author or around a similar topic.